Linear tape drives are widely used for computer backup and archiving. A linear tape drive includes a magnetic tape head that reads and writes magnetic tape linearly. Linearly means that data on the magnetic tape is read, and written, in sequence along the length of the magnetic tape. Multiple channels of data may be written to, and read from, the magnetic tape in parallel using multiple elements on the magnetic tape head. However, due to manufacturing limitations, adjacent track recording on the magnetic tape is not yet feasible. Therefore, the spacing between adjacent elements on the magnetic tape head, referred to as the channel pitch, is larger than the spacing between adjacent tracks on the magnetic tape, referred to as the track pitch. For example, some linear tape drives have magnetic tape heads with a channel pitch of approximately 100 μm, while magnetic tape often has a track pitch of approximately 10 μm. A sixteen channel magnetic tape head with a channel pitch of 100 μm yields a magnetic tape head span of 1.6 mm. As channel count increases to 32 or more, the magnetic tape head span can easily exceed 3 mm.
Due to its flexibility, magnetic tape is susceptible to expansion and shrinkage, or contraction, with fluctuations in temperature and humidity. This may compromise the ability of magnetic tape heads to read the magnetic tape. More specifically, the outermost magnetic tape head elements may no longer be properly positioned over their respective data tracks on the magnetic tape. This may compromise the ability of current magnetic tape heads to read the magnetic tape.